Local Muslim Community Reacts to Threat Against Islamberg

Members of the Southern Tier Muslim community and Muslims of America are finding themselves in a disturbingly familiar situation: holding a news conference in a Binghamton hotel to respond to threats of an attack made against one of their communities near Hancock.

Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News (file)

While the Mayor of Islamberg and others addressed reporters January 23, saying they were just like everyone else in the community and wanted to live in peace, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was announcing New York State Police would be increasing patrols around Islamberg out of what he said was "an abundance of caution." The Democrat also directed the State Police Hate Crimes Unit to assist authorities in the investigation.

Police in the Rochester area say four people with access to guns and homemade explosives planned to attack the enclave in Delaware County. Three adult men and a 16-year-old are charged with weapon possession and conspiracy.

The Muslim community tucked in the Catskills has been the subject of threats in the past in the forms of both online claims of conspiracies that the enclave is really a terrorist training facility and more material threats such as the one over the past week and a plot more than two years ago to bomb the community that was hatched by former Congressional candidate Robert Doggert. Doggert is serving 20 years in prison for the incident.